Some of the nation's top cross country programs officially opened up their cross country seasons at the Virginia Invitational on Saturday in Charlottesville on the pristine course at Panorama Farms, the site of the NCAA Division I national championship on November 18. 

On both the men's and women's sides, there were a number of key storylines. 

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NAU Men Dominate

Even without Nico Young, the 2022 runner-up, the three-time defending NCAA champions showed no signs of regression, handily winning the team title over multiple top 10 programs.

Led by the NCAA 3,000m record-holder Drew Bosley, Mike Smith's team packed all five scorers in the top twenty-five places, with the spotlight on Bosley's individual title. 

He pulled away from North Carolina junior Parker Wolfe, winning in 23:20.3, three seconds removed from the Tar Heel. 

Theo Quax and Santiago Prosser both squeaked into the top-twenty, finishing 6th and 17th in 23:31.3 and 23:41.6, respectively. Anchored by Kang Nyoak (22nd) and Corey Gorgas (25th), the team-to-beat put all five scoring runners in front of BYU's third scorer. The Lumberjacks still have a few key members they can integrate into their lineup at this point, too. 

As a team, they averaged 23:36 and all crossed the line within twenty-one seconds of one another. 

Rocky Hansen's Collegiate Debut

The Wake Forest freshman had a final high school track campaign to remember in 2023, running 3:58.23 for the mile and 8:35.22 for two miles. Typically, it's not too common for true freshman like Hansen to have such thrilling debuts, but he put the ACC on high alert on Saturday.

The North Carolina native clocked 23:30.9 in his first-ever collegiate 8,000m, good enough for a fifth-place finish in a field made with six 2022 All-Americans, finishing ahead of half of them.

Hansen will have another opportunity next month when Wake Forest and other ranked programs travel back to Panorama Farms for Pre-Nats. 

NCAA Individual Title Up for Grabs

If Saturday's outcome was of any indication, there are a few athlete's in the men's field that can plead their case as to why they are a contender for the individual title. 

• Drew Bosley -- As a junior, Bosley added a NCAA silver and two bronze medals to his trophy case, as he finished runner-up in the NCAA Indoor Championship 3,000m and third in both the indoor 5,000m and the cross country 10,000m. Over the last two years, Bosley has elevated himself to an entirely new level, showing that he's not afraid to push races early, and ultimately kick-to-win them as well.
• Parker Wolfe -- In each of his first two seasons of collegiate cross country, Wolfe finished as an All-American, finishing 28th in 2021 and ninth in 2022. Similar to Bosley, Wolfe has established himself as a runner who isn't hesitant to make moves that can break the race open. He consistently puts himself in prime position to be in the race until it's over.
• Ky Robinson-- Stanford's frontrunner picked up a pair of NCAA titles in Austin in May, winning both the 10,000m and 5000m. There, he showcased his closing speed in the latter stages of each race. Robinson finished 10th in Stillwater last year and is back for another shot at the NCAA title.

Less-Than-Ideal Opener For Buffaloes

Coming into the fall, the Colorado women were looking to be a dominant force this season, but early-season absences left the women's team much more battered than they'd like to be in late September. 

Two notable names that didn't race in Charlottesville were transfers Natalie Cook and Marlee Starliper. 

Cook came from Oklahoma State, where she placed seventh in her first NCAA Cross Country National Championships, while Starliper transferred in from two-time defending national champions North Carolina State. Meanwhile, Emily Covert showed her consistency yet again, taking fifth for 5,000 meters on Saturday in 16:25.9. A bright spot in Colorado's weekend was freshman Karrie Baloga, who ran 16:47.1 and finished 21st. 

Stanford, Virginia, Washington, Georgetown, Iowa State, Michigan State and Providence all traveled to Panorama Farms ranked behind the distance powerhouse and all seven programs finished ahead once the dust settled.

Northern Arizona's Sweep

The women of Northern Arizona got the racing off to a hot start, winning by a greater margin than the men would go on to do. Elise Stearns is coming off a breakthrough sophomore campaign, one in which she collected her first All-American honor and a fourth-place finish in Stillwater last November. A year later, it seems it's more of the same, as Stearns won the individual 5K title in 16:18.9, just ahead of Georgetown's Chloe Scrimgeour. Annika Reiss and New Mexico transfer Gracelyn Larkin added an 8-9 finish, running 16:30.3 and 16:33.2, respectively.

The Lumberjack's final two scorers both snuck in the top-sixteen spots, giving the Big Sky powerhouse a win over Stanford 48-104. 

Notable Absences

• Irene Riggs -- The top distance recruit of last year did not race. She joined a very talented and young group in Palo Alto and many were hoping to see the long-awaited debut of the 2023 Nike Cross Nationals champion. Riggs clocked 16:02.10 in her best cross country performance during her senior year and even had a chance to compete in the World U20 Cross Country Championships, where she finished 12th in 22:03. We'll most likely have to wait until the Nuttycombe Invitational to see if Riggs is entered.
• Natalie Cook -- Out of high school, the Flower Mound native was tabbed as one of the greatest prep runners in history. Her senior season concluded with back-to-back national titles, first at the Garmin RunningLane Championships then and Eastbay Nationals (formerly known as Foot Locker). 
• Immediately, Cook made an impact on the Cowboy's squad, helping Oklahoma State finish fourth at NCAAs, led by her seventh-place finish, making her the only freshman All-American and one of only two freshman in the top 50. Over the summer, Cook announced she was transferring to Colorado. She'll look to be an X-factor if she makes a return this fall. 
• Tatum David -- Many were hoping for a season debut on her home course at Virginia, but the freshman was not one of the 10 Cavaliers on the starting line. In high school, David was well-known for her range, being able to run 2:05 for 800m and 9:48 for 3,200m. It is worth noting that David raced well into the June, traveling both to Brooks PR and the HOKA Festival of Miles. The hosts of the 2023 cross country championships will not race again until they host Pre-Nationals on October 14th.